For what, we ask, is life ...

... Without a touch of Poetry in it?
Hail, Poetry, thou heav’n-born maid!
Thou gildest e’en the pirate’s trade.
Hail, flowing fount of sentiment!
All hail! All hail! Divine emollient!
(Pirates of Penzance by Gilbert and Sullivan)

Well said, men! What is life without poetry in it? Not much, according to me. Fortunately for us (as in the majority of the readers of this blog and myself), the Christian life is extremely poetic.
It's easy to miss because of the rush of the world around you, but it's there. In every sunrise, sunset, daily mass, car ride, and conversation. We live in a world of drama, you could call the drama.

Think about it. We live with the knowledge that God, the Creator of the universe is in control. He is the director of this whole thing and He takes a very personal interest in every person He has created. That means that the everyday events that we take for granted are actions that mean more than what they seem to mean.

One example that I automatically think of is a car ride on the way to a camping trip I took with some friends over the summer. On the way up, the sky was amazing. It was like God was putting on a light show just for us. We were blaring Matt Maher the whole time and it just came together. For a second, I felt like I could see the world a little like God does: as this intricately designed place, almost a toy, all created just for us. I felt like He was just watching us enjoy His creation.

At that moment, I realized how dramatic life is. It's moments like that where you notice, but it's going on all the time. Every breath we take (sorry, Sting) is a gift and every event has a vast, cosmic meaning: GOD LOVES YOU. Yeah, that's it. I hope it seems like it has more meaning than those words can convey because it does.

Our lives are a participation in a gigantic story that started in eternity with God. It's all connected, from the creation and fall of Adam and Eve, all the way to what college you went to and who your friends are. Really. When you get excited about Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings and wish you lived in one of those worlds, look around you. You live in a universe far more exciting, interesting, and dramatic than any human author could create. The Divine Author's story is unbelievable ... and you're in it.

I may sound like I'm just being sentimental but it's real. There is a Master Plan, a Big Picture; and when you can see a little bit of it, you can appreciate how exciting every day of your life is.